Alternative to PC based Cnc controllers

[Bill RParticipant @billr]

Posted by Jat Grewal on 10/01/2017 23:44:32:

John, no need to be sorry mate, everyone's views are very important and I myself started designing these after having too many issues with PC based controllers and I might have my own point of view but also need to have everyone's take on this.

If you can please spare a couple of minutes and share what you think would be a good price point for the units and also what you like and dislike about the units the this can really help us understand what you as a user want so that we can keep improving the designs.

Jat.

Some feedback for you.

I have little or no trouble with PC's in the workshop environment. Occasionally a keyboard gets some dust or swarf, but are dirt cheap to replace. I prefer a large monitor to the small screens used in the stand alone controllers usually mentioned here. I am very happy with the concept you have come up with. The one thing I would put on the wish list is a touch screen monitor in addition to a conventional keyboard. Keep up the good work.

Bill

[MuzzerParticipant @muzzer]

I've just indulged in some shameless chequebook engineering. This is a 4-axis controller of a similar type to the lathe controller JS mentioned earlier in this thread. Obviously it's set up for 4-axis CNC milling rather than 2-axis CNC lathe control. This is a kind of self indulgence to make up for spending the last 2 weeks in China and should reduce the time and cost of carriage, as I brought an extra suitcase with me. Total cost for this was pretty much bang on £400, which compares favourably with the cost and ball ache of assembling a PC, BOB, monitor, software, keyboard etc.

Overall, doesn't look too bad. I haven't opened it up to look inside but it claims to have an FPGA for the fast stuff and a 32 bit ARM cored processor and DSP. Also comes with a set of connectors with labelled cable tails. Time will tell how well it works but if not obviously I will blame JS.

I've already started to translate the user manual into something readable. The Chinglish is very strong. If it's a Fanuc clone as I think JS suggested, I may have to download the equivalent Fanuc manual to see if it helps.

Murray

[Anonymous]

Posted by Muzzer on 13/03/2017 10:58:06:

I've just indulged in some shameless chequebook engineering. …………..

Nowt wrong with that. A definite woohoo, and should keep you out of trouble, and in the workshop, for a while.

Andrew

[richardandtracyParticipant @richardandtracy]

Murray,

Please let us all know how it works out. That is one of the ones I have on my E-Bay watch list as an option for my new lathe. However, it doesn't seem to have an encoder input, which probably makes it unsuitable.

Regards,

Richard.

[MuzzerParticipant @muzzer]

Are you sure about that, Richard? This is from the manual I've been cleaning up and digesting recently. There are also quite a few "electronic gear" functions for driving one axis from another, including the spindle.

Do you have the manual? I can send you a copy if you PM me.

Murray

[John Stevenson 1Participant @johnstevenson1]

Murray, you are correct because Steve Blackmore has had his threading straight out the box, even done some triple start threads.

Richard, did you miss the bit where it's costs around £400 ?

Wouldn't want you to be financially embarrassed.

[MuzzerParticipant @muzzer]

John – are these based on the Fanuc controllers? In particular, is the Fanuc post processor the closest to use? I appreciate that you and Steve have the lathe version but presumably requires a similar post.

Also, has Steve posted his experiences anywhere like Madmodder? I'd love to hear how he got on.

Murray

[John Stevenson 1Participant @johnstevenson1]

Closest we have come across is the Fanuc 21

The post is pretty generic for lathe except threading on G76 which uses the later Fanuc 2 line build up as opposed to the earlier one line G76

AFAIK Steve hasn't posted about this on forums but will give out any information if needed but he only has the lathe version.

I have loaded code written for Mach 3 that works straight off but there are no threading routines in it. However that same code won't run in Mach 4 which is also supposed to be Fanuc compatible but I know out of the three which two I'd trust.

[richardandtracyParticipant @richardandtracy]

Posted by John Stevenson on 14/03/2017 00:18:13:

…Richard, did you miss the bit where it's costs around £400 ?

Wouldn't want you to be financially embarrassed.

It's 8 months pocket money, four of which have already been put aside. Could have one this year provided I lay off the beer & cream eggs. Would honestly prefer to pay out for one of these than have to have a PC attached.

Regards,

Richard.

[Involute CurveParticipant @involutecurve]

Murray do you have a link to your supplier, Ive been thinking of getting one of these for a while I just never got round to it, however a mate also wants one so I am in the market for two.

Cheers

Shaun

[MuzzerParticipant @muzzer]

Although I've spent a lot of time out in the Far East, I'm a long way from being any kind of expert in CNC. Obviously I hope that will change in the coming years but in the meantime, there are many more experienced members on this forum. You might call me a CNC pornographer – seen the photos, read the stories and reckon I could put on a good show.

Having said that, I'm very happy to share what I have learnt to date. I know very little of the supplier I bought my controller from other than their geographical location and website. I believe JS knows a lot more about their setup and the general parentage of this controller. From what he says, I may be reasonably safe but time will tell.

I got mine from here. It was delivered to our factory near Shanghai within a few days of ordering and appears to be as described.

Looking forward to getting back home tomorrow. Due to some inexplicable (but hopefully repeatable) alignment of the planets I appear to be on course for 1st Class return journey with Emirates (A380) tomorrow. I am hoping to find a way of making this a habit….

Merry

[Involute CurveParticipant @involutecurve]

I'm looking to upgrade my kit, I already have a pretty good 4 axis CNC mill setup at home I just want to get away from the PC keyboard etc.

I'm starting to get to grips with it now, here's somat I made earlier with it………….

 

 

 

For interest I've put a few more images of this in one of my albums

Shaun

 

 

Edited By Involute Curve on 15/03/2017 18:27:44

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by Involute Curve on 15/03/2017 18:12:12:

For interest I've put a few more images of this in one of my albums

Shaun

.

I hardly dare look, Shaun … that is magnificent !!

MichaelG.

[richardandtracyParticipant @richardandtracy]

Shaun, that looks spectacular.

And seriously uncomfortable for long journeys!

Regards,

Richard

[Nick HulmeParticipant @nickhulme30114]

Posted by Involute Curve on 15/03/2017 18:12:12:

here's somat I made earlier with it………….

Crikey Shaun, that's really, really sweet!

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Posted by Involute Curve on 15/03/2017 18:12:12:

For interest I've put a few more images of this in one of my album

Shaun

That looks A1!

Would you be willing to send me a few hi-res versions? I'd love to print an update on your article written when it was half-done! I reckon most readers wouldn't begrudge a page or two plus a few words about the machining setup!

Neil

[MuzzerParticipant @muzzer]

Been a bit busy to make any significant posts here but I've been documenting my CNC machine retrofit progress on a blog. It's a fair bit easier for dumping loads of pics and some random thoughts than posting them randomly here.

I'm still "some time" away from machine parts actually moving but progress has been encouraging, not least today being spent mostly in the workshop. Lots of time spent looking for "that box" that I know is hiding somewhere close at hand. The most infuriating being a large Linbin full of assorted crimps. Godnose I could do with it now but there's only so much time you want to spend failing to find something before you give up again and buy replacements.

Have a look at the blog at http://www.murraye.com and feel free to comment either here or there. Bear in mind that on a blog, recent posts are at the top of the page and the oldest ones are at the bottom, so the story reads from the bottom up. Today's (and yesterday's) progress won't appear until tomorrow when I download the photos finally.

Apple's iCloud photostream thing is frustrating enough to almost force me to revert back to a camera. Rather than waiting to see if photos will bother turning up in the cloud (often not), I end up having to use a cable to download them. So my camera with auto wifi file transfer may be unretired if i can recall where it is….

Murray

Edited By Muzzer on 04/04/2017 23:12:31

[Involute CurveParticipant @involutecurve]

Hiya Neil, I actually started to write a follow up article a couple of months ago, Ill finish it up over the next few days and send it to you with some decent pics,

Oh and last weekend it got awarded best in show and also second! in freestyle class at the Kickback show Stoneleigh Park, I see this a good sign in that Choppers and the like didn't get a single award, they all went to the more engineered bikes, (proper bikes) either built or restored by the owner rather than cheque book engineered, this was deliberate on the part of the organises, they also insisted that the bikes are ridden before accepting any entry, which is as it should be otherwise what the point.

And all judging was carried out by former prize winning builders, not sponsors!!

Apologies to hijacking this thread it was unintended.

Shaun

[John Stevenson 1Participant @johnstevenson1]

Murray,

Don't know about anyone else but I can't read blogs that work bottom up.

You would think by now that some enterprising web publisher would have come up with a top down format.

Keep jumping up and down to look at pictures and then read the text is like pulling teeth.

Only one thing is worse and that's a blog with wobbly video.

[richardandtracyParticipant @richardandtracy]

John,

Must have been an Antipodean who invented blogs to generate them that way as normal.

Regards,

Richard

[simondavies3Participant @simondavies3]

Posted by Muzzer on 04/04/2017 23:10:16:

Have a look at the blog at http://www.murraye.com and feel free to comment either here or there.

Murry, PM sent to you

[MuzzerParticipant @muzzer]

Cut my first air on the Shiz this evening using the new Chinese controller. Woohoo!!

Neil – hold on to your dinner. BTW, you still haven't sent that tripod you promised me last time.

More details at http://www.murraye.com

Murray

[Anonymous]

That's gotta be worth at least a triple woohoo! And several beers.

Andrew

[richardandtracyParticipant @richardandtracy]

Brilliant.

Congratulations on getting it to work.

Regards,

Richard.

[MuzzerParticipant @muzzer]

The work starts here! I have a massive long list of IO to connect up as well as all the settings etc to figure out and optimise. However, I am about to have some time off over the Easter break. I tend to wake up early these days, especially when I have interesting stuff to do, so hope to get a bit of work done while the rest of the family sleep the mornings away….

I had some time to kill yesterday waiting for my daughter's train to come in (both trains ran late) and found that the mythical "suitcase compressor" was finally in stock at Lidl as of yesterday. Clouds and silver linings etc. So now I have a means of operating the power drawbar and gear selection solenoids. The CNC gods smiled on me again.

Murray

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